Brother of Malik Bendjelloul says director took his own life

The brother of the late Malik Benjelloul, director of music documentary Searching For Sugar Man which won an Oscar in 2013, has said that he took his own life after a struggle with depression.

Johar Bendjelloul told the Aftonbladet newspaper in Sweden. "I can confim that it was suicide and that he had been depressed for a short period of time," he said, adding: "Life is not always so easy... I don't know how to handle it."

Bendjelloul, a Swede with an Algerian father, directed Searching for Sugar Man following a spell as a reporter for Swedish TV network SVT. While travelling he discovered the story of Rodriguez, a US singer who had disappeared into obscurity but who had developed a cult following in South Africa, and followed two fans as they attempted to find the singer and bring him back on tour.

"Malik was a fantastic person," Rodriguez told Swedish newspaper Expressen. "He was both unique and very friendly." The film's producer Simon Chinn meanwhile told the Associated Press: "I saw him two weeks ago in London. He was so full of life, hope and optimism and happiness, and looking forward to the future and future collaborations. We were talking about working together and talking about specific ideas, so the idea that he is no longer is just too hard to process."